Gains on state tests cause school “grades” to soar
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The New York Post reports astonishing news today: more than 85% of elementary and middle schools earned an A or B on 2009 school “progress reports,” which are expected to be released today. Even more surprising is that only two schools received Fs.
Those stats have improved enormously in just two years, according to the Post. In 2007, only 61% of schools earned top marks and 35 schools received Fs. Many of the failing schools have since been closed or have new principals. (Learn more about the fate of failing schools in today’s Daily News.)
This year’s progress reports reflect the dramatic improvements in student scores on math and reading tests, which account for 85% of the overall letter grade. The Post anticipates that this news will incite more calls to raise the standards on the state exams.
Board of Regents Chancellor Meryl Tisch has already demanded that tests become more defensible. According to the Post, Tisch said next year’s exams “will be more comprehensible and less predictable than in prior years.” New State Education Commissioner David Steiner declared yesterday that he, too, wants to improve state exams.
We’ll post an update when the progress reports are online; and let us know if you would award your school the same grade as the city.
UPDATE 1:15 pm: GothamSchools posted a spreadsheet that lists the city’s elementary and middle schools’ new progress report grades (for the 2008-2009 school year) alongside their grades from the previous year. They also offer some initial observations gleaned from the data. Of particular interest, the three schools that the UFT and parent leaders sued to keep open all received As.
And the two failing schools? Harlem Link Charter School and Washington Heights Academy.
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There is much to improve about the NYC PS system and much to reflect upon with regard to outcome evaluations. However, the idea that these tests should be harder and our children tested more often it ridiculous. There is far too much pressure on our children as it is.
Comment by A mom — September 2, 2009 @ 12:51 pm
Tests do not need to be made harder to see improvement. Instead of concentrating on those students who are failing a better indicator of how well schools are doing would be to look at the percentage of students getting 4s. My child’s schools gets A on all reports and 95% of the kids pass the tests. But only a small fraction (2% or so) get 4s on the state tests. The school teaches to the lowest common demnominator and does not teach at the 4 level (And that comes straight from the principal). They have even brought in out of zone kids who are failing so they can raise them up and receive an A in progress. How about the 3 level children progressing to 4 level? This should be monitored as well. Schools are failing to teach anything above the minimum to get a 3 on the tests and this needs to be changed to ensure that ALL students can achieve to their full potential. Principals should be penalized if a portion of the 3 level students do not progress to 4 level.
Comment by queensparent — September 2, 2009 @ 5:46 pm